November is Woman Abuse Prevention Month across Ontario and Windsor's Hiatus House is kicking it off with its fifth annual Shine a Light on Woman Abuse Tree Lighting Ceremony.
More than 50-people ventured to Charles Clark Square in downtown Windsor in miserable weather to hear Eva Kratochvil tell her story Thursday night.
"If I give them hope and to let them know to be brave, have courage, go forward, get out of the abusive situation," she says. "I hope that's what my story does here tonight."
More than 50 people made it out to Charles Clark Square for the annual for the annual #ShineaLightonWomanAbuse Tree Lighting Ceremony despite miserable weather, including 17 players from Windsor Minor Hockey Association’s Bantam Minor AAA team. #cklw pic.twitter.com/FQdbAeEaUb
— Gord Bacon (@baconAM800) November 1, 2018
Kratochvil is a survivor of almost three-years of abuse and has told her story to women around the world, won a Queen's Jubilee Award and brought the Shine a Light Campaign to Windsor in 2011 after its creation in London, Ont..
She's helped victims of abuse for 19-years and was working at a shelter when she knew she needed to get out of her situation. She tells AM800 News it shows how hard it is for women to reach out for help.
"I depended on friends at the time to be able to get me out," she says. "Some people say, 'why do you call yourself a survivor, are you ever going to get over it?' It's not about that, it's about reclaiming that because survivors are not seen as having credibility, or fear those spaces because of the stigma."
Kratochvil — who currently works for Hiatus House — says Windsor-Essex is the most underserved area in the province when it comes to sheltering abused women and children and that needs to change.
"I hope this is a rallying cry to let the community know what is really taking place here in Windsor and the situation that women face," she says. "I hope it doesn't discourage anybody from continuing to reach out for help but the reality is that shelters do turn away women nightly because there just is not adequate space."
Hiatus House will be at Forest Glade Arena Nov. 12 selling purple ties and scarves at Windsor Minor Hockey Association’s Purple Tape day — all 17 members of the Windsor Jr. Spitfires Bantam Minor AAA team helped out at Thursday night's event.
There are several events lined up to raise awareness throughout the month.